Table Of ContentJCDR Clinical Case Report Based Study
Coexistence of Cor triatriatum sinistrum and a prominent
Eustachian valve mimicking a Cor triatriatum dextrum
A. T. Oyedeji, A. A. Akintunde1, E. A. Ajayi2, P. O. Akinwusi
Osun State University, 1Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, 2University Teaching
Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria
Address for correspondence: Dr. A. T. Oyedeji, P.O. Box 1922, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria.
E-mail: [email protected]
ABSTRACT
Cor triatriatum is among the rarest of all congenital cardiac abnormalities accounting for 0.1-0.4% of all
congenital heart disease. Its coexistence with a very prominent Eustachian valve which mimics a Cor triatriatum
dextrum is an exceptionally rare finding in an asymptomatic adult. We report the case of a 44 year old male
who presented to our department on observing a pulse rate of 44 beats per minute during a home blood pressure
check with his digital sphygmomanometer. Clinical examinationwas however, unremarkable and resting
electrocardiography showed sinus rhythm with atrial premature complexes. The diagnosis was made on a two
dimensional transthoracic echocardiography. Isolated atrial premature complexes and bradycardia may be a
clinical presentation of Cor triatriatum in adult population. Although extremely rare, its coexistence with a
prominent Eustachian valve may remain asymptomatic into adult life.
Key words: Cor triatriatum sinistrum, prominent Eustachian valve, asymptomatic adult
INTRODUCTION CASE REPORT
Co existence of Cor triatriatum sinistrum and a prominent A 44 year old male presented on account of bradycardia
Eustachian valve which mimics a Cor triatriatum dextrum (44 beats per minute) which he observed while routinely
is an exceptionally rare finding. Cor triatriatum was first checking his blood pressure at home with a digital
described by Church in 1868.[1] It is a congenital anomaly sphygmomanometer. He had been otherwise asymptomatic
in which the left atrium (cortriatriatumsinistrum) or right for cardiac diseases from childhood. On physical
atrium (cortriatriatumdextrum) is divided into 2 parts by a examination, he had a regular pulse of 64 beats per minute
fold of tissue, a membrane, or a fibromuscular band.[2-4] It with a few missed beats. Cardiac auscultation was normal.
is a rare cardiac malformation comprising about 0.1% of The resting 12 Lead electrocardiogram showed normal
congenital heart disease.[5] The Eustachian Valve (EV) is an sinus rhythm with atrial ectopics (Heart rate of 70 beats
embryologic remnant of the valve of the inferior vena cava per minute). Biochemical and haematological profile
(sinus venosus)[6] and can be visualized only in a minority were unremarkable.TTE showed an abnormal membrane
of persons undergoing transthoracic echocardiography bisecting the left atrium (LA) into two chambers [Figure 1].
(TTE).[7] We report a unique case of the above finding. In the parasternal long axis view, this membrane ran parallel
to, and a short distance behind the aortic root and then
Access this article online curved anteroinferiorly to insert some distance away from
Quick Response Code: the mitral valve ring. This membrane was seen bisecting
Website:
www.jcdronline.com the LA at the atrial appendage in the apical four chamber
view. It was difficult to image the whole of the membrane
on a freeze frame analysis. The M mode Echocardiographic
DOI:
appearance of the membrane revealed a linear echo lying
10.4103/0975-3583.95378
anteriorly within the LA, behind the aortic root. This echo
170 Journal of Cardiovascular Disease Research Vol. 3 / No 2
Oyedeji, et al.: Cortriatriatumsinistrum coexisting with a prominent Eustachian valve
Figure 1: Apical two chamber view in transthoracic echocardiography Figure 2: Apical four chamber view in transthoracic echocardiography
demonstrating the membrane (arrow) bisecting the left atrium into demonstrating the prominent Eustachian valve (arrow) crossing the
superior and inferior compartments (Cor triatriatum sinistrum) right atrial floor to insert into the interatrial septum (mimicking Cor
triatriatum dextrum)
shows a movement resembling a stenotic mitral valve.
Doppler evaluation did not show any intra-atrial gradients. as we have demonstrated. This abnormality should be
Both atria were not dilated and the pulmonary veins did differentiated from Cor triatriatum dextrum, which results
not have abnormal flow velocities. when early embryonic separation of the right atrium
into two chambers persists. This type of abnormality
A ridge of tissue was seen inserting into the lower portion may be confused with a Cortriatriatumdexter.[9] In adults,
of the interatrial septum adjacent to the atrioventricular the EV can be visualized in only a minority of persons
valves, and partially divided the right atrium (RA) into undergoing TTE.[7]
two chambers -the superior and inferior compartments
[Figure 2]. The origin of this tissue was in the region of The presence of a thin, fenestrated, fibrous membrane,
the ostium of the inferior vena cava. This is most likely at the insertion of the inferior vena cava (IVC) into the
a very prominent Eustachian valve (EV) resulting in right atrium is pathognomic for EV.[10] Occasionally, the
an appearance of a Cor triatriatum dextrum. The valve EV crosses the floor of the RA from the orifice of the
was immobile during the different phases of the cardiac IVC and inserts into the lower portion of the interatrial
cycle and no obstruction to flow was demonstrable at the septum adjacent to the atrioventricular valves[9] as we have
level of the EV. The estimated pulmonary artery systolic demonstrated. Persistence of sinus valve structures may be
pressure was 25 mmHg and the main pulmonary artery associated with obstruction of IVC flow, can predispose
was not dilated. to a patent foramen ovale,[11] be completely asymptomatic,
and/or rarely provide a nidus for endocarditis.[12] Our
The remaining valves were normal and there were no other patient was asymptomatic and this is the more common
associated cardiac defects. finding in patients with prominent Eustachian valves.[13]
In this case, the finding of a very prominent EV had no
The patient was placed on antiplatelet prophylaxis (Aspirin apparent clinical consequences for the patient.
75 mg daily).
Previous publications on the M mode Echocardiographic
appearances of cortriatriatum confirm a linear echo
DISCUSSION
within the left atrium behind the aortic root,[14-16] and in
Cor triatriatum is a rare cardiac malformation comprising some cases this echo shows a movement resembling a
about 0.1% of congenital heart disease.[5] The EV is an stenotic mitral valve[16] as in our case. It is noteworthy
embryologic remnant of the valve of the inferior vena cava that the abnormal echo lies anteriorly within the LA, as
(sinus venosus).[6] These remnants have different degrees of in our case. This is helpful in the differential diagnosis
persistence after birth.[8] Moderate degrees of persistence can as both the linear echo sometimes seen “within” the
give rise to a very prominent EV with functional separation LA in total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage and
of inferior and superior vena cava systems with a resultant the artefactual echoes sometimes seen in the LA tend
rare echocardiographic appearance of a divided right atrium to be more posterior. Detection of this membrane in
Journal of Cardiovascular Disease Research Vol. 3 / No 2 171
Oyedeji, et al.: Cortriatriatumsinistrum coexisting with a prominent Eustachian valve
multiple planes of examination distinguishes it from an 2. Griffith TW. Note on a second example of division of the cavity of
the left auricle into two compartments by a fibrous band. J AnatPhysiol
artifact. Its position within the LA is typical and may be
1903;37:255-7.
differentiated from that of a supravalvular mitral ring,
3. Anderson RH. Understanding the nature of congenital division of the atrial
which occurs exclusively within the mitral valve funnel chambers. Br Heart J 1992;681:1-3.
with the membrane distal to the left atrial appendage in 4. Richardson JV, Doty DB, Siewers RD, Zuberbuhler JR. Cor triatriatum
(subdivided left atrium). J ThoracCardiovascSurg 1981;81:232-8.
contradistinction to Cor triatriatum. Furthermore, we
5. Keith JD, Rowe RD, Vlad P. Heart disease in infancy and childhood. 3rd ed.
demonstrated a superior recess behind the aortic root, New York: Macmillan;1978.
which is not seen in supravalvular mitral ring. 6. Allen HD, Gutgesell HP, Clark EB, Driscoll DJ. Moss and Adam’s. Heart
disease in infants, children and adolescents. Vol. 2, 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA:
Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; 2001. p. 794-6.
The most frequent cardiovascular abnormalities associated
7. Schrem SS, Freedberg RS, Gindea AJ, Kronzon I. The association between
with Cor triatriatum sinistrum in adults are usually related unusually large Eustachian valve and atrioventricularvalvular prolapse. Am
to the spectrum of left heart obstruction,[17] mitral Heart J 1990;120:204-6.
regurgitation, supravalvular annulus,[17] and persistent 8. Roldán FJ, Vargas-Barrón J, Espinola-Zavaleta N, Romero-Cárdenas A,
Vázquez-Antona C, Burgueño GY, et al. 3-D Echocardiography of the right
left sided superior vena cava draining in the coronary atrial embryonic remnants. Am J Cardiol 2002;89:99-101
sinus.[17] Other abnormalities are ostiumsecundum atrial 9. Otto CM. The practice of clinical echocardiography. 1st ed. Philadelphia:
septal defect and less commonly, aortic regurgitation with WB Saunders; 1997. p. 688
10. Ionac A, Dragulescu A, Mornos C, Gaspar M, Slovenski M, Dragulescu SL.
dissecting aneurysm.[17,18] Cor triatriatum has been known
Large eustachian Valve- A puzzling echocardiographic diagnosis and a
to occur in silent association with complex congenital heart difficult therapeutic management. Timisoara Med J 2004;54:362-5.
disease.[19] This is another case of a silent occurrence of 11. Shluchlenz HW, Saurer G, Weihs W, Rehak P. Persisting Eustachian valves in
adults: Relation to patent foramen ovale and cerebrovascular events. J Am
this abnormality.
SocEchocardiogr 2004;17:231-3.
12. Skubas N, Slepian RL, Lee LY, Tortolani AJ. Tricuspid regurgitation caused
Our patient is being managed conservatively since both by Eustachian valve endocarditis. AnesthAnalg 2006;103:1410-1.
lesions were found to be hemodynamically insignificant. 13. Leon M, Pechacek LW, Solana LG, Massumkhani A, Cooley DA.
Identification of a prominent Eustachian valve by means of contrast two-
Asymptomatic patients with prominent EV usually require no
dimensional echocardiography. Tex Heart Inst J 1983;10:219-21.
further treatment.[13] Endocarditis and thrombus formation 14. Lundstrom NR. Ultrasoundcardiographic studies of the mitral valve region
over the EV are extremely rare complications.[ 20,21] To the in young infants with mitral atresia, mitral stenosis, hypoplasia of the left
ventricle, and cortriatriatum. Circulation 1972;45:324-34.
best of our knowledge, coexisting Cor triatriatum sinistrum
15. Gibson DG, Honey M, Lennox SC. Cor triatriatum. Diagnosis by
and a prominent EV presenting as Cor triatriatum dextrum
echocardiography. Br Heart J 1974;36:835-8.
has not been described in an asymptomatic African adult. 16. Bett JH, Graff RF, Stafford EG, Dryburgh L. Echocardiographic diagnosis
of cortriatriatum. Aust NZ J Med 1978;8:428-30.
17. Su CS, Tsai IC, Lin WW, Lee T, Liang KW. Usefulness of multidetector-row
CONCLUSION computed tomography in evaluating adult cortriatriatum. Tex Heart Inst J
2008;35:349-51.
18. Pirc B, GersakB, Ruzic-Medvescek N. Cor triatriatumsinistrum, aortic
Although extremely rare, Cor triatriatum sinister
coarctation and bicuspid aortic stenosis in adults. Eur J CardiothoracSurg
coexisting with a prominent Eustachian valve may remain 1996;10:1139-40.
asymptomatic into adult life. It is an important entity to 19. Jacobstein MD, Hirschfeld SS. Concealed left atrial membrane: Pitfalls in
recognize because it may be easily surgically corrected when the diagnosis of cortriatriatum and supravalvular mitral ring. Am J Cardiol
1982;49:780-6.
hemodynamically significant. Access to more advanced
20. Bowers J, Krimsky W, Gradon JD. The pitfalls of transthoracic
imaging (trans-esophageal echocardiography) is clearly echocardiography. A case of EV endocarditis. Tex Heart Inst J 2001; 28:57-9.
desirable;however, should not be a limiting factor to 21. Jolly N, Kaul UA, Khalilullah M. Right atrial thrombus over Eustachian
valve- successful lysis with streptokinase. Int J Cardiol 1991;30:354-6
diagnosis in a resource poor setting like ours.
How to cite this article: Oyedeji AT, Akintunde AA, Ajayi EA, Akinwusi
REFERENCES PO. Coexistence of Cor triatriatum sinistrum and a prominent
Eustachian valve mimicking a Cor triatriatum dextrum. J Cardiovasc
1. Church WS. Congenital malformation of heart: Abnormal septum in the Dis Res 2012;3:170-2.
left auricle. Trans Pathol Soc Lond 1868;19:188-90. Source of Support: Nil, Conflict of Interest: None declared.
172 Journal of Cardiovascular Disease Research Vol. 3 / No 2
